This invention relates to plumbing valves, and in particular, to adjustable mounting systems for use therewith.
Many valve assemblies are installed through a wall or surface. For example, valve assemblies may be installed in walls for faucets, showers, and the like. To hide the mounting hardware, these valve assemblies are typically anchored against the back side of the wall frame and project forward. Once the valve assembly is fixed in place, the wall covering is attached. Of course, the wall covering will have the necessary cutouts for the valve assembly to extend through. In some cases, a handle and/or an escutcheon may be separately attached to the valve assembly on the front side of the wall.
However, the thickness of the wall may vary depending on the construction materials selected. Thus, the installation often involves doing a first rough-in installation and any corrections for depth are made during the final installation.
To reduce the need for a separate rough-in installation, adjustable mounting systems have been developed. See e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,331,386; 4,662,389; and 6,666,227. Many adjustable mounting systems for valve assemblies exploit the fact that an escutcheon covers a portion of the neck of the valve. By altering the positioning of the escutcheon, minor over -or under-extension of the valve assembly from the mounting surface can be hidden. Adjustment of the escutcheon works well for many kinds of valves having handles that move about a fixed rotational axis.
Even in valves having a fixed rotational axis, the amount of escutcheon adjustment can be quite limited. The amount of escutcheon adjustment may be limited by the spacing between the handle and the valve body or the amount of threading along the shaft to which the escutcheon is connected. If the threading extended too far, it can diminish the appearance of the fixture.
Further, adjustment of escutcheon will not work with all types of valves and aesthetic designs. For example, certain types of mixing valves have pivot centers that must be a predetermined distance from the wall covering. Often the pivot center may have some spatial relationship with the escutcheon that makes adjustment of the escutcheon along a central axis unacceptable as a means for accommodating installation into walls of various thicknesses.
Hence, a need exists for an improved valve assembly that is easily installed in walls of different thicknesses. In particular, there is a need for a valve assembly that provides for the placement of valve components at a predetermined distance from the front side of the wall using a rear side mounting, regardless of wall thickness.